Segment Routing Network Signaling and Packet Processing

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the OAM information comprises a timestamp associated with the packet.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein responsive to the OAM segment identifier identifying timestamp behavior, the fast path processing unit operative to communicate a timestamp of a current time along with the packet to the slow path processing unit.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the OAM signaling information comprises an OAM segment identifier indicating that the packet is to be processed by the slow path processing unit.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the OAM segment identifier includes a locator portion identifying the slow path processing unit to perform the OAM processing.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the OAM segment identifier includes an identification of an END.OP endpoint with a punt function.

7. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein a segment list of a segment routing header of the packet includes the OAM segment identifier.

8. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the OAM segment identifier is a 128-bit Internet Protocol (IP) version 6 (IPv6) routable address, and wherein the packet comprises an IPv6 header that comprises the OAM segment identifier as a destination address of the IPv6 header.

9. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the OAM segment identifier includes an OAM argument value designating said OAM processing or qualifying said OAM processing designated by a segment routing function value in the OAM segment identifier.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the slow path processing unit is operative to generate a response to the packet.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the OAM information comprises a timestamp associated with the packet.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein responsive to the OAM segment identifier identifying timestamp behavior, the fast path processing unit is operative to communicate a timestamp of a current time along with the packet to the slow path processing unit.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the OAM segment identifier includes a locator portion identifying the slow path processing unit to perform the OAM processing.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the OAM segment identifier includes an identification of an END.OP endpoint with a punt function.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein a segment list of a segment routing header of the packet includes the OAM segment identifier.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the OAM segment identifier is a 128-bit Internet Protocol (IP) version 6 (IPv6) routable address; and wherein the packet comprises an IPv6 header that comprises the OAM segment identifier as a destination address of the IPv6 header.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the OAM segment identifier includes an OAM argument value designating said OAM processing or qualifying said OAM processing designated by a segment routing function value in the OAM segment identifier.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the OAM signaling information comprises an OAM segment identifier indicating that the packet is to be processed by the slow path processing unit.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the slow path processing unit is operative to generate a response to the packet.